HAPPY 83RD BIRTHDAY MERRINER!

My dad LOVES his family and nothing makes him happier than to have all the Jones' he can gather together, around him! Therefore... for his 83rd birthday he planned (with the help of Trisha, who sent out emails for him) a JONES FAMILY TREASURE HUNT up at "The Stairs" which is on the Whetten's Ranch above Colonia Juarez. The purpose of our Treasure Hunt was to hunt for the Colonia Juarez Stake Records that were hidden at the time of the Exodus in about 1912. We all gathered at Trisha and Dana's house in Colonia Juarez! I was right proud of the Jones family that day because we got off only 45 minutes late! That's a record for this huge crowd!

Everyone that was "man enough" rode their four wheelers! The rest of us rode in our trucks and carried everyone else's lunches and stuff!

Dana was the head man and led the way, since he had all the keys to open the gates!

Visa... Tony & Chris' German Shepherd was in "dog heaven" as she was invited along " for the ride!" She rode on the front of the motto... loving every minute of her experience!

Grandpa and great grand son, Jamison were the oldest and youngest people to ride their mottos all the way up... which was about an hour and forty five minute ride! It was a pretty tough ride for such a young little guy... since his motto at times had a hard time making up the steep embankments! At one point his dad asked him if he wanted to put his motto in the back of one of the trucks... but Jamison said, "No, I want to finish!" Good for you, Jamo!! Grandpa "held his own" with the rest of them and never complained but had a big smile on his face the whole day!

Representing the "Thomas Henry Jones" original family were dad, Aunt Lanny, Aunt Christine and Uncle Ron!

Dad had copies of the original pictures taken at the time the records were hidden and written instructions to the place where they could be found!

After we had all eaten he laid out the necessary information! Showing us all the pictures of what the area looked like back then!

Frank read the written instructions for finding the records... adding his own comments and making us all laugh!!

We all then took off in search of the records! Everyone heading in their own perceived direction! We were hopeful of recovering the records but it was not meant to be! Maybe the time isn't right yet and we need to return in FOUR YEARS! (Sound like a familiar story?) Either way, it was fun to be united in the same purpose and enjoying the mountains!

While we were all walking and riding around looking we discovered Big Bear and Stanley taking a little snooze on a nice warm rock!

We were a tired and DIRTY bunch of people as we headed for home! We have decided to return before school starts and hide a treasure of our own for future generations to look for in about 100 years! We will have better pictures and better instructions than our pioneer forefathers did, that's for sure!! Thanks dad, for creating another wonderful memory for those of us who joined you for your Treasure Hunt Birthday Party! I think EVERYONE had a GREAT TIME!